The Five Years Between
by HorseLover200
Summary: Chuck and Blair are happily married, and all of their friends seem to have their lives in order as well. Nate may go for mayor, Serena and Dan are getting way serious, Dorota is pregnant again, and everyone is perfectly happy. This story will follow the group in the five years between the Chair and Derena wedding's. Disclaimer; Cecily Von Ziegesar&Producers of show own it, not me!
1. Chapter 1 - Blair

The feeling of lips brushing her neck woke Blair Waldorf Bass that morning, making her smile and turn to see her husband of two months, Chuck Bass, smiling back down at her. The two had been married suddenly and quickly, with a small, very intimate ceremony between only friends - and Georgina Sparks, who Blair absolutely _refused_ to call a friend - to free Chuck of any charges against the death of his father, Bart Bass. With the two of them being married, Blair didn't have to say a damned thing against Chuck to the police, and seeing as she was the _only_ witness besides the deceased himself, there was no credible evidence to make a case. Getting Chuck off the hook, and leaving the two of them still married. They had a _real_ ceremony soon after, and she still swooned at the memory of its perfection.

"Good morning, gorgeous." Chuck said in that low, sexy voice that had always given Blair weak knees. No wonder he had been such a womanizer before falling in love with her, that voice of his was so endearing! She had to say that might be a reason she'd even gotten to the point of falling in love with him. That and the fact that he had gotten completely obsessed with her after they slept together for the first time that one night…she still remembered it vividly.

"And a good morning to you, handsome." She smiled, giving him a kiss and then sitting up. He shifted behind her on the bed and ran a hand gently down her silk-covered arm.

"Breakfast in bed today?" he offered quietly in her ear. She sighed wistfully and turned to face him, biting her lip and smiling.

"As much as I wish I could, and trust me, I do," she gave him another kiss and stood up. "I can't. I have to meet my father and Roman to talk about inheriting his house in Paris-"

"I hope you aren't thinking of moving?" Chuck raised one eyebrow at her.

"Of course not, silly," Blair laughed, shaking her head and heading over to her closet, shifting through her collection of expensive, highly fashionable dresses, looking for a lunch casual sort. She heard the sound of Chuck standing up and then he was beside of her again, a questioning look in his eyes when she looked back. "Just a vacation house, Chuck. Please, I _belong_ here, in New York."

"I guess I'll meet with Nathaniel then, we can discuss any _ideas_ he could give me. This guilt scandal has left me utterly empty-handed. No one has accepted any _offers_ by me since the death of my father. Bass Industries needs something." Chuck sighed, moving across the room to the dresser, where he was keeping his clothes. Since their marriage, the two had decided the Waldorf's residence was a good, permanent place for them right now, leaving Nate to live at the Empire and keep it in good condition. Until they were in the right place to find a home of their own, a new penthouse to rule. Besides that fact, all the other penthouses were unavailable, and Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass couldn't live _anywhere_ else but a penthouse. It was crucial for their social status and mental status.

"Good luck with _that_ , and wish me luck. Later, I have that meeting with Jenny Humphrey today, about the new line I'm thinking of starting," Blair smiled, picking a pink dress that looked 'ridged', in a way, and a smooth band around her waist. The straps were wide, but didn't leave her shoulders, and the bottom half of the dress sort of splayed out all the way to around her knees. After changing into the dress quickly and easily, she slipped on her favorite pair of Ralph Lauren heels.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get the deal done, no problem." Chuck promised, walking over to her - a suit he would soon be wearing draped neatly over his arm - and putting one hand on her waist. "After all, the company is managed by the most successful woman in Manhattan,"

"Oh, Chuck, you always know what to say." Blair sort of simpered and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you for dinner, though," and then she hurried out of the room. She had just made it down the stairs and was going across the apartment when her best friend, Serena van der Woodsen, who had moved back in a few days after the wedding, came bustling out of the living room, simply _radiant_.

"Blair, I have to tell you something!" Serena said, still smiling so brightly, Blair wasn't sure it could possibly be a real smile. She smiled briefly, then continued walking.

"You'll have to tell me on the way to the lobby, I have two very important meetings I can't be late for." she replied, pressing the elevator button and smiling again.

"So, Dan just called-"

"Wait," Blair stopped her, holding up one hand and shaking her head once with a very fake, short laugh. "If this is about your really awesome love life with Humphrey, _save it_. I don't approve of the relationship, and, if you want to know the truth-"

"I don't, B." Serena laughed lightly, but Blair ignored her and continued.

"I don't think it's going to last much longer _anyways_ ," she said this last bit as she stepped into the elevator, followed closely by her tall, blonde friend. After pressing the lobby button, she turned back to Serena. "It never does with you two, you know that as well as _I_ do. After that first failed attempt at a relationship, it's just gone. The connection, the chemistry, it's _over_. Find someone else, S, or you'll just get hurt again. And so will he. Give it up, Serena,"

"Blair, you're _wrong_. I love Dan, and he loves me, and that's why I think he's going to propose tonight." Serena told Blair, biting her lower lip happily, the way she always did. It really irritated Blair, to be completely honest, but she usually just kept that bit to herself. No need to judge her best friend on some silly habit, even if it was excruciatingly annoying.

" _Propose?_ " Blair exclaimed in question, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes!" Serena was beaming again, her voice nearly a squeal. "He wants me to meet him at his place tonight for dinner, and he says he has a surprise for me-"

"Are you sure that surprise isn't that he has another girlfriend?" Blair interrupted. "One that is socially _acceptable_ for him to date. Like Genevra Beane, you know, that girl from the deepest depths of Brooklyn hell? I'm pretty sure she was on Gossip Girl like, half a time, because she asked Nate for directions and he gave them to her smiling. Honestly," she shook her head with a shallow laugh as they exited the elevator, now in the lobby, and went for the exit of the apartment. "Dan was stupid to post _that_ , of all the Gossip he used to get…"

"Well, from _personal_ Gossip Girl experience, most tips sent in are totally _worthless_ pieces of garbage, so, that was probably the most exciting piece he got that week." Serena defended him, shrugging indifferently. "And yes, I'm _sure_ he's not going to reveal some secret girlfriend!"

"But, you're also _not_ sure he is proposing, you just want him too. Because, for some unknown, super weird reason, you want to _marry_ Humphrey." Blair rolled her eyes and opened the door to her limo, looking back at Serena before getting in. "Honestly, do the both of you a favor, get rid of him, like I did!"

"I don't think it's the same situation, B. You left him because you were in love with Chuck-"

"Who cares about the technicalities, S? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business elsewhere. Good luck with your Brooklyn-not-so-charming." Blair said, rolling her eyes again and sliding into her limo with a large sigh. Serena just laughed and rolled her eyes at Blair as the door closed, then turned and headed back into the building.

Blair stepped out of the limo ten minutes later in front of her favorite restaurant on the Upper East Side, where she could already see her dad, Harold, and his life partner, Roman. They were sitting at a window table, smiling at each other and holding hands over the table. Blair couldn't help but smile at how happy they were. Both of her parents were happy with their new partners, and she was happy with her husband. It was just a family of happy Waldorf's. As she walked into the door, she was greeted by the door-clerk, who was holding a fake smile.

"Welcome to Monte Carlo's! Table for one?" the clerk asked. Blair shook her head and offered her own fake smile, though played it off as a polite one.

"I'm joining a party that's already here." she told her, then brushed past the girl and headed for the table her father and step-father were seated. They both stood when she arrived and gave her a kiss on the cheek, she smiled and sat beside of Harold.

"Hello, sweetie." Harold smiled to her, scooting over for her to sit at the booth with him.

"Dad, Roman." she greeted, nodding to each of them with a real smile this time. "I see you ordered my drink, thanks so much."

"We guessed, sorry if it's not right," Roman apologized.

"It's perfect," she assured him. "Sorry I'm late. Serena needed to talk to me before I left,"

"It's fine, Blair." Harold shrugged. "Well, let's get straight to it then-"

"Yes, we have other errands to run today." Roman finished.

"That's fine, I have another meeting this morning myself!" Blair told them, straightening up and looking between them both. "So,"

"We'd be glad to give you the house, Blair, but…."

"We don't want it to grow old and dirty,"

"Why would it?" Blair questioned, looking confused.

"Well, we know you aren't willing to move there _permanently_ ," Harold frowned, exchanging an anxious look with his boyfriend. "So we want to make sure you'll at least visit often enough to keep it clean."

"Hire a maid!" Blair said, rolling her eyes. "Of course I'll _visit_ the house, but I won't be cleaning it, certainly not! You already have workers there!"

"Yes, dear, but if no one lives there they won't want to go in-"

"Raise their pay, then." Blair concluded. "Look, Dad, I'm going to visit it very often. I _love_ Paris, I'll basically go every summer. Probably even once a month, _at least_ -"

"Alright, alright," Harold heaved a sigh and once again exchanged looks with Roman. "It's yours." Blair smiled brightly and stood up, kissing her two dad's on each cheek and making a small laugh from her nose.

"Perfect! Now, I really have to go, I'm sorry I can't stick around a few minutes longer. But, I have a meeting with a certain Brooklyn drama queen, it's very important." she called this over her shoulder, as she was already making her way across the restaurant and back towards the exit. She gave the door-clerk a look of distaste as she left, sliding into her limo once more and sighing lightly.

"You know the loft in Brooklyn," she told the driver, who nodded and they were off to meet with Jenny Humphrey.


	2. Chapter 2 - Serena

**Okay, this chapter is crappy. I have realized I suck so bad at writing in Serena's POV. xD So, sorry that this is really bad, and I hope you aren't scared away by this monstrosity of a chapter!**

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Serena - dressed in her nicest clothes without looking too conspicuous for a casual dinner with her boyfriend - walked slowly across her bedroom and to the bathroom that connected her and Blair's rooms. She opened the door, listening hard and then - deciding it was safe to enter - burst through the door that led to her best friend's room. Blair and Chuck were lying together on the bed, chatting carelessly about their days.

"Nathaniel says he might be able to give the company a positive boost in The Spectator-" Chuck was saying, his eyes never leaving Blair's face. Serena thought that it was so cute how in love the two were, and amused at how long it had taken for the two of them to finally realize it themselves. There had been a lot that went down between them, but everyone had known that this would be the final outcome. Marriage.

"B?" Serena called, not wanting to intrude on the conversation, but this was pretty important. Blair, looking startled, moved her eyes from Chuck to Serena.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I need help." Serena replied urgently, then disappeared into the bathroom once more. She had to wait several moments, in which she paced the bathroom anxiously, until Blair appeared in the doorway. After once glance at the state her best friend was in, Blair closed the door quickly, worry settling in her eyes.

"What's wrong, S?" her eyes suddenly went wide. "You're not-"

"No, B! I'm not pregnant." Serena said in exasperation, sighing and finally stopping to look at Blair. "I'm just…scared. What if he does ask me to marry him?"

"This morning you couldn't have been happier about him proposing, what changed?" Blair asked, looking a lot less concerned now she knew what was going on.

"I don't know if I'm ready to get married-"

"Wait, wait, wait, Serena!" Blair suddenly said. "When that old guy was going to propose, you seemed perfectly ready. And you probably didn't even really love him! As much as I hate it, you love Dan. A hell of a lot more than what's his name."

"His name was Steven." Serena corrected, then let loose a groan of frustration. "What do I do if he asks?"

"Say no..? There's no rules that say you have to accept." Blair shrugged, then smiled innocently. "Besides, there's still hope he'll leave our lives for good."

"B!" Serena exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "You are no help. I'll just…talk to you later." she sighed, turning and slamming the door after disappearing into her bedroom again. She grabbed her phone from the bed-side table and opened the new message she had from Dan.

 _cant wait 2 see u._

Serena felt a wave of apprehension sweep through her, but, ignoring it, she put her phone in her purse and rushed down to the living room. She had to leave now if she didn't want to be late.

"Hey, you're early." Dan greeted her with a smile, kissing her briefly before turning and leading her towards the kitchen. Serena took a deep breath through her nose, unable to help the smile that spread over her lips at the smell. It smelled delicious. She could see the steaks sizzling on the stove top, and her mouth watered. He knew steak was one of her favorite dishes, and apparently this night was special enough to take that into account. The feeling of nausea had set in once again, and she took a seat at the kitchen table, grimacing. When Dan turned to look at her, his brow creased in worry.

"You okay? You look sick." she offered him a smile, hoping it looked a lot more happy than it actually was.

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy from the delicious smells."

"I made your favorite." Dan said, sitting across from her at the table and smiling to her. She gave a nervous laugh, wondering where he was hiding the ring. _In his pockets? Maybe he put it in the bread?_ She wondered, sending the breadsticks on the table a suspicious look. It didn't look like any of them had been tampered with. Besides, the ring wasn't ever put _inside_ the breadstick, but on it. _Maybe he isn't proposing?_ she thought hopefully, trying to make her stomach unclench. It didn't work.

After the food was done, Dan placed a serving on each plate and set them down on the table. He began to eat immediately, all the while talking to her enthusiastically. Something about his book - Inside Out - being placed on the _New York's # 1 Bestseller's_ list. She tried to look happy for him, and proud, but wasn't sure if the look passed completely off as believable. Sometimes he'd lapse into a long silence, watching her with a worried crease to his brow, then he'd think of something else to say and talk for minutes at a time. Most of what he talked about had something to do with writing. Either his books, or of books he'd read recently that had given him a really cool idea of his own. While he spoke, Serena would comment here and there, trying to be supportive. But the feeling in her stomach stopped her from _really_ participating in the conversation, only letting him speak. At last, their food was done, and she knew it was time. A response already in her head, she waited quite impatiently for him to get along with it.

"Alright, as I said before, I have a question for you," Dan's tone faltered slightly, as if he was thinking about not saying this at all. Serena swallowed a lump in her throat. "We've pretty much established that I've been in love with you from the beginning, right?"

"Yep." Serena forced herself to say.

"Now, I know we still have a long way to go in our relationship…but, Serena…will yo-"

"I can't!" Serena suddenly blurted out, not able to hold it in much longer. "Dan, I'm-I'm so sorry. But I can't…"

"You… _can't_?" he asked, looking thoroughly confused. "Does Blair have you on some sort of contract?"

"I'm just not read-" Serena - taking a moment to really hear what he said - frowned. "Wait…what are you talking about?"

"What are _you_ talking about?" Dan asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't marry you, Dan." she told him quietly. To her surprise - and irritation - he started to laugh. He leaned back in his chair, the front legs coming off the ground, and he shook his head, still laughing.

" _Marry_ me?" he laughed again. "Of course you can't _marry_ me. I'm not proposing, Serena!"

"Wait, what?" Serena stammered. "You're…not?"

"No! I was going to ask if you'd move in with me."

"Move in?" Serena repeated, her stomach suddenly relaxed and she had to laugh too. "Oh my gosh, _Dan_!" she squealed after another moment.

"Is that an enthusiastic 'yes', or an enthusiastic 'no'?" Dan asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"A yes! Obviously!" Serena breathed, standing up and kissing him. "I'd love to!"

"You sure you're not too disappointed about there being no diamond ring?" he asked her in amusement. He put his arms around her waist and looked at her with a smirk. She laughed lightly.

"A diamond ring never hurts, of course, but this time I can live with it." she chuckled, her arms sliding around his neck, drawing him closer for a kiss. "Where are our new living quarters?" she asked slyly, pulling back just a little bit, a glint in her eyes. Dan smirked even wider.

"This way, m'lady."


	3. Chapter 3 - Dan

**Don't know how good this one is, but hope you Enjoy anyways! (:**

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Dan woke the next morning feeling great. Serena was still sleeping beside of him, her hair falling softly down into her face, and he couldn't help but just look at her. He was so lucky to have gotten her back, so lucky that she'd understood about him being Gossip Girl. Now, he was beside the girl he always knew he'd end up with, from the day he'd seen her at that party. Maybe it had been a bit stalkerish at first, but it grew into something else, and he was just lucky as hell that it ended this way. What was more, his book that led him to this wonderful part of his life was a huge hit. It'd caused a lot of drama in his life, but at least other people seemed to think it was awesome. The one thing he _really_ needed to do was make up with Nate, not just the 'we apologized we're good' kind of make-up. He wanted to be friends with Nate again, because that had literally been his best friendship next to Vanessa. With Vanessa gone, he really needed that.

Dan was pulled from his reverie at the sound of his cell phone notification, and upon reading the message, he saw that it was Jenny, telling him to call her. He pulled himself carefully out of bed, slipped into some pants, and crept out of the room, not wanting to wake Serena. After settling himself on the couch, he dialed his sister's number, she answered on the third ring.

" _Guess what_!" she squealed. Dan cringed and shook his head.

"Could you not squeal, I just woke up. And I'd prefer to keep my hearing," he told her. She let out a little laugh.

"It's noon, Dan. Come on, you _just_ got up?"

"Had a long night."

"Oh, did Serena come over then?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah,"

"Did she say yes?" Jenny demanded eagerly.

"Yep. I'm helping her pack today." Another squeal was emitted from the phone, and he pulled the cell away from his ear an inch, sighing. "What did you need, Jen?"

"Oh! Right! So, Blair and I had lunch yesterday-"

"You and _Blair_?" Dan asked incredulously, not able to stop from laughing briefly. "Unbelievable."

"Well, believe it. And, she wants me to design clothes for her new line, get this…" she paused to add an air of excited suspense. " _J for Waldorf_!"

"Wow." Dan replied, nodding appreciatively. "That's great, Jenny."

"I know!" she squealed again. He was glad he was still holding the phone away from his ear.

"What'd Dad say?"

"He was excited of course!" she laughed. "So-"

"Sneaking a conversation with your other girlfriend?" another voice drew Dan's attention from Jenny, and he looked round to see that Serena was smiling at him from the bedroom door. She was wearing his shirt from the night before and biting her lower lip in that extremely adorable way she always did.

"Jen, I'll call you back." Dan said distractedly into the phone, then hung up without waiting for her answer. "Just Jenny. She was telling me about her meeting with Blair yesterday."

Dan stood from the couch and went to meet her in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms, watching her as she dug through the fridge for breakfast.

"Oh yeah. Blair told me about that." Serena nodded, shutting the door, bringing a container of blueberries with her. "It's great for Jenny, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Dan agreed, reaching over to take a blueberry for himself. "Hmm, let's go get a real breakfast."

"We could eat with Blair and Chuck. There's always something good for breakfast there," Serena smiled, replacing the blueberries in the fridge. Dan shrugged, frowning.

"Sure Blair would be okay with it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She closed the distance between them, pushing her hands against his chest gently, and nodding.

"I think she'll handle it for me." she promised, kissing him then. Dan wrapped his arms around her, returning the kiss happily. She pushed him slowly back against the counter, going to deepen the kiss, but he broke it before she could. Serena pouted cutely, but a glint of humor was obvious in her eyes. "No fun." she teased, turning and then disappearing into the bedroom to change. Dan laughed after her, shaking his head and following her. She was pulling her dress on, Dan's shirt strewn across the bed.

"How are they by the way?" Dan asked her, pulling on a fresh shirt from his closet. "Blair and Chuck, I mean."

"Good. As compatible as ever." Serena laughed. "I'm just glad all the drama's over, you know?"

"Yeah. Been a rough few years," Dan agreed. "Ready?"

"If you are," she smiled, leading the way out of the room. Dan followed, watching her walk, which was just another thing he loved about her. Sometimes he'd chastise himself about how much he loved about her, telling himself it was now to the point of obsession, but then quickly reprimand that. He wasn't obsessed with her, she just had so many good qualities. Besides, if you love someone, you notice even the simplest of things.

They took the cab in silence, though she did rest her head on his shoulder, and by the time they'd arrived at Blair's, she was dozing off to sleep. He woke her gently, and they made their way up to the suite together. When the elevator doors opened and they stepped out, something small and heavy collided with Dan's knee. He cursed, but restrained from kicking out, because the thing that had hit him just happened to be a little girl. It was Ana, Dorota's oldest child at almost three years old, and she was now sitting on the floor, dazed. Serena laughed loudly, helping Ana through her laughter with difficulty.

"Ana! Be careful!" Dorota, the Waldorf housemaid, scolded, appearing from the kitchen. She looked disheveled, like she'd had to wrestle a bear recently, and was holding her son on her hip. He looked like he'd just been crying, but was now happily munching on some baby snack food.

"I'm very sorry, Mister Lonely Boy, Ana is being-"

"It's fine, Dorota. She okay though? Hit my leg pretty hard there," Dan replied, looking at Ana briefly. The girl had started to giggle, which led Dan to believe she was perfectly fine.

"Fine, fine. Miss Blair and Mister Chuck are eating," she told them, grabbing hold of Ana's hand and starting to drag her towards the kitchen again.

"Thanks, Dorota!" Serena called cheerily, leading Dan towards the dining room. When they opened the doors, it was to find that Chuck and Blair were having an argument over their breakfast.

"No, Chuck, we can go once every two months and stay for about a week! That can't be so hard on you!" Blair was saying, looking frustrated.

"Why wouldn't we just go all Summer, and then stay here the rest of the year?" Chuck argued.

" _Because_ , that's just not enough! If I own a house in Paris-" Blair cut off, suddenly spotting Serena and Dan lurking by the door. Blair shot a disgruntled look at Dan, but the look quickly shifted and a too sweet smile appeared on her face, but Dan hadn't missed that look. He gave a very tight smile and sat in the seat furthest from the couple. Serena sat beside of him.

"Well, isn't this great?" Blair simpered, chin in her hand as she leaned her elbow on the table, looking between Dan and Serena expectantly. "Here to deliver bad news?"

"One mustn't get so hopeful," Chuck smirked, causing Blair to laugh shortly.

"Nope. Good news, actually," Serena's smile broadened. "Dan asked me to move in with him!"

"And you said that it's impossible, and you're breaking up?" Chuck asked, raising an eyebrow.

" _No_ , I said yes!" Serena retorted.

"I thought you said good news?" Blair replied, still holding that too sweet smile that was driving Dan crazy. That was a smile that meant she was either up to no good, or getting to that point.

"It _is_ good news, B." Serena sighed, rolling her eyes. "Dan's helping me pack today. Chuck, can you help too?"

"Better call Nathaniel for that, I've got business today." Chuck said, waving his hand dismissively to her. "As a matter of fact, I should be going."

"Bye, sweetie." Blair smiled, this time a sincere one, and leaned over to give her husband a good-bye kiss. When he'd left the room, Blair turned back to Dan and Serena with a joyful sigh. "I'll never get tired of this feeling."

"I'm so happy for you two," Serena replied. "Why can't you be the same for me and Dan?"

"S-" Blair began, then shot a look at Dan and just shook her head. "Let's talk, out there." she insisted, standing and stepping out of the room. Serena rolled her eyes again, gave Dan an apologetic look, then stepped out of the dining room as well. Blair shut the sliding doors roughly, and Dan was left alone. For a minute, he wondered if he should try to listen to their conversation through the door, but decided that it would be the same as always. Blair trying to convince Serena that Dan was no good for her, that Dan was a no-good Brooklyn maniac. A surge of irritation went through him, and he stood abruptly. He didn't understand how Blair could say those things about him.

Obviously there was something else to him than just his Brooklyn roots. Blair had dated him, for goodness sake! She'd been his friend for a while as well. He'd been her confidant on things, they'd watched movies together, laughed. How could she be so…well… _Blair_ towards him? He knew that a lot of shit had happened between the time they'd broken up and now. Like the fact that he'd slept with Serena while _Blair_ went to choose Chuck over him. Or that he'd uploaded some pretty nasty stories about everyone, and he'd broken Serena's heart… _again_. But, wasn't the fact that it all came down to the fact he was Gossip Girl enough? He just wished she'd look at it the way Serena had, the _right_ way. He didn't have any feelings for Blair anymore, but it wouldn't have bothered him to have her as a friend, _at least_. They'd worked well as friends, he thought, and he thought they'd work well as friends again, if she'd just try.

Dan - who had subconsciously picked up some French breakfast item Blair usually had and was eating it - jumped when the doors were thrown open once more. Serena walked in first, looking furious, and Blair followed, looking matter of fact, but apologetic.

"Come on, Dan. I'm ready to start packing." Serena snapped, grabbing Dan's wrist roughly and dragging him towards the doors and the stairs beyond. He didn't protest, but looked between Blair and Serena in confusion, having to walk quickly to keep up with Serena's angry pace.

"What the hell happened down there?" he demanded after they had arrived in Serena's room and she'd slammed the door shut. By now, he'd finished the French food and wiped his hands on his jeans.

"Blair's being her usual Blair-self, okay?" Serena snapped, opening her closet and throwing clothes onto the bed roughly. "Let's just pack, alright? I want to leave sooner rather than later."

Dan, who had just replaced a shirt to the bed that had tumbled off with her rough handling, came up behind her slowly, putting his arms around her waist. She let out a frustrated sigh, but stopped reaching for new hangers to turn around in his arms and glare at him.

"Serena, calm down," he said soothingly. "You know what Blair thinks of me, you can't let it upset you every time she speaks her mind."

"I know, but Dan…she of all people knows how I feel about you!" Serena insisted. "She feels the same way about Chuck, I just thought she'd be a bit more understanding."

"She's being about ten times more understanding than I thought she'd be. At least she _tolerates_ my existence." Dan chuckled. Serena offered a restricted smile, but her eyes told him she was grateful.

"Let's pack, I'm ready to move in with you." she told him, pulling away from his grasp and going to sort her clothes on the bed. After a few moments of watching her, he sighed and went to help her.


	4. Chapter 4 - Dan (again)

**A/N: Okay, yes, another chapter with Dan as the POVS. I'm sorry. But I love Dan, and his perspective has been most fun for me so far. So, here is another. This was just a random burst of inspiration, so here it is. Sorry if it's really suckish, but I hope you ENJOY. It's unedited, so I'm sorry about the many mistakes. I don't have time to edit it right now.**

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"Blair, will you just listen for one minute!" Dan snapped, finally losing his patience with her. It must have sounded like he was on his last straw, as Blair's eyebrows raised and she gave him a shocked look.

"Well, _lonely boy_ , what the hell do you want?"

Though he had only seemed to make her more irritated with him, he was just happy that he had finally gotten her attention. It seemed that she would never just sit and listen for a moment, to hear him out. Though his feelings for her had completely evaporated since their relationship had ended, Dan couldn't help but miss the time when they were friends. Sure, she could be bossy and a bit superficial, but it was fun. He loved talking to her, even if he wasn't romantically feeling anything, she was one of the best friends he'd managed to make. This was only one of the reasons why he had chosen to corner her, however.

As well as the fact that he wanted to resume their previous friendship, he was doing this for Serena. She had been really upset since her argument with Blair, and the only way to fix things between _them_ was to fix things between himself and Blair. That was proving to be a lot more difficult than he had previously thought, as it was an entire week after Serena had moved in with him. It was the only time he'd actually found her alone in her room, shifting through the dresses in her closet.

" _Go on,_ " Blair insisted, dragging him out of his thoughts and crossing her arms impatiently.

"I know why you're pissed off-"

"Oh, really? You do?" she asked, letting out a short laugh. "Go on,"

"You're pissed about everything that's happened since we broke up. And that has been… _a lot_. The thing between Serena and I, my chapters I published, and then being Gossip Girl…and I don't blame you. I'd be pissed at me too."

"Then you completely understand, conversation over, good-bye," Blair smirked, turning back to her closet. Dan let out an impatient groan, grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him.

"But I want you to listen to me, alright?" Blair looked at him for a moment, seeming to be contemplating the situation in her mind. At last, her eyes rolled up and she sighed, seating herself in front of her make-up dresser. Dan sat on her bed, nodding in satisfaction at her submission.

"Look. I know you have reason to be pissed, I get it. The thing is, Blair, I did all of that shit because of a lot of different reasons. I mean, I thought I was in love with you, and I sincerely thought you felt the same way. Of course when I heard you'd run off to find Chuck - which hadn't been a lie on Serena's part - I was heartbroken and angry. I'm sorry."

Blair tilted her head slightly, her arms crossed over her chest still, but her eyes seemed to be losing their superior touch. Dan could see the Blair that he was fond of coming through, but there was still a lot more explaining to do.

"I published the chapters for… _similar_ reasons. I felt like everyone had betrayed me, and I was ready to fight back. Nate wasn't talking to me, Chuck had stolen you again, you'd _run off_ , Serena was pissed at me because I was pissed at her…it was just…a huge mess. Then I came home to find my dad in bed with some twenty year old con artist. To say the least, I was just feeling really terrible in general about every single situation I was in. Every friend I had abandoned me. Still," he held up a hand to silence Blair when she opened her mouth to speak. "it was the wrong way to go about it, but it was my way. I'm a writer, that's just what we do.

"I've already explained about Gossip Girl, but do you need more?"

"Why does it matter so much to you?" Blair demanded suddenly, her eyes returning to their previous firmness.

"What?"

"Me approving of you!"

"Because it matters to Serena, and I love her. Whether you like it or not, I'm so in love with Serena, I'd do anything for her. Even if that means dealing with the Queen of Manhattan." Dan replied, giving Blair an amused grin. A smile flitted across her mouth, but faded almost immediately afterwards.

"And, I miss you, Blair-"

"Miss me? As in how, Humphrey?"

Dan felt like he'd done a bit of progress, as she had referred to him as his last name instead of 'Lonely Boy'. That was definitely a baby step in the right direction.

"I miss you as in being friends. Don't you think we were really good as friends? Before all that complicated, relationship shit happened?"

Blair looked at her fingernails as she thought about the question.

"I guess we were okay," she shrugged, still staring at her nails.

"See! I miss it." Dan repeated. "We know this time no feelings will erupt, because we are both in perfectly happy relationships. You are _married_ to Chuck Bass, and I'm going to be engaged to Serena soon-"

"Excuse me?" Blair perked her head up suddenly, eyeing him. "Engaged soon? How soon?"

"Well, maybe not _soon_ , but soon-ish." Dan shrugged, his turn to look away now.

"Humphrey, don't you lie to me! Are you going to propose to her _soon_?"

"No! Not in the next few months. We've only just moved in with one another!"

"Yes, but you've been in love for years. Damn it, Humphrey," Blair huffed, stomping her foot in frustration and standing up. "If you're going to marry my best friend, what else can I do but forgive you?"

"Well, you could do what Queen B would do." Dan said, looking at her and smirking. "Plan, sabotage, then have sex with Chuck."

"Oh, ha, ha!" Blair shot back, though a small smile appeared on her face.

"So, are we okay?" he asked tentatively, losing his smirk.

"I suppose," Blair sighed.

"Can you convince Chuck of that?"

"Oh, he only disapproves because I do. If I tell him I've had a change of heart, he'll follow right along. Chuck doesn't have a particular problem with you, in fact, he thinks you're quite clever. The whole Gossip Girl thing really changed his opinion on you."

"Why don't I feel incredible joy in the fact that Chuck Bass respects me?" Dan grumbled.

"Go tell Serena to get her ass over here, we've got to talk," Blair said, pulling Dan to his feet. Before he could take two steps though, she hugged him. Dan, completely shocked, took a moment to respond, but when he finally caught on to what she was doing, he hugged her back tightly. It really would be nice to be friends with her again, and this time it didn't have to be kept secret. He smiled to himself as he stepped into the elevator that led to the lobby, thinking this day had turned out better than he'd hoped.


	5. Chapter 5 - Blair

**A/N: Alright, first let me acknowledge all those awesome reviews I've gotten recently. Thank you soo much! I appreciate them greatly. You don't know how nice it feels to read such warm words about my chapters. I'm so glad you're all enjoying it, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

 **Next, I want to shout out to Carrie (guest reviewer from last chapter). You totally read my mind! I was already halfway through this chapter when I saw your review, and you were thinking just like me. :) And yes, I'm planning on finishing/revising my Nate chapter tonight and uploading it tomorrow. So, you'll get some Nate in there. He will interact with Serena, but, I'm sorry to say, it will be in a completely unromantic way. They are still besties though! (:**

 **And lastly, to V (guest reviewer from last chapter) you better believe there will be a lot of Derena. I ship Chair the most, but Derena comes a close second out of all GG relationships. So, I'm glad you like them as much as I do! Haha.**

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Blair leaned heavily against the bathroom sink, her breathing labored and her eyes shut tightly. This was not happening. Not again. She couldn't deal with this again. Last time was too hard, too stressful. What would Chuck say? Would he be happy? Would he be angry? Would he be just as scared as she was right now? Blair knew, in the back of her mind, that he could never be angry at her over something like this. She knew he would accept it with much enthusiasm, but the panicking part of her mind was sure he'd leave. He'd just pack his things and go back to the Empire. At this thought, her breathing became much shorter, and after a moment she was gasping for breath.

"D-D-Dorota!" she screamed, backing away from the sink and leaning against the wall, trying to take deep breaths. Her eyes flew open when someone came into the room with her, and relief swept through as she realized it was her maid.

"What is it, Mrs. Blair?" Dorota asked anxiously.

"I-I-I need some water. Immediately," Blair replied, having to close her eyes again. The room had begun spinning. Moments later, Dorota was kneeling by her side, pressing a cup to her lips.

"What is the matter, Mrs. Blair?" her maid asked in concern, and when Blair opened her eyes again, she saw genuine worry in her eyes and she smiled as reassuringly as she could.

"I need Serena. Call her for me. Tell her it's an emergency, and make it clear that this is an _actual_ emergency." Blair ordered, pointing to her cell phone, which was still lying on the counter.

Blair was so glad that Dan had come to her two months previously and settled their friendship. If he hadn't, she wasn't sure her and Serena could have worked out their problems. Thankfully, though, he had and now she and Serena were as close as ever. Blair approved - albeit a bit reluctantly - of Dan and Serena approved of Chuck. They were grown adults now, and they'd been through enough to finally be over their silly fights. With Gossip Girl dead, that was especially easy to do. Blair didn't know what she'd have done if Serena wasn't there for her. If Serena had never forgiven her, that might have been quite a depressing life.

Dorota made the call, and in less than fifteen minutes, her best friend was rushing through the bathroom door, looking frazzled and like she'd gotten ready quite hurriedly. Considering it was two in the afternoon, Blair could guess easily what Serena had been up to before receiving the call. Which only made Blair feel a rush of appreciation and love for her friend, as she had taken the time away from her boyfriend to help her. This was why Blair couldn't go on without Serena.

"What's wrong, B?" Serena asked breathlessly, sliding to the floor next to her.

"It's absolutely terrible, S!" Blair groaned, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"What's wrong? You're scaring me."

"S…" Blair took in a deep breath, then pointed wordlessly to the trash bin next to the door. Serena moved quickly over to it and looked in, her eyes searching for a few moments before widening in surprise, a grin spreading over her face.

"B! This is so great!" she exclaimed, turning around, eyes bright.

"Great?! Serena, it's terrible!" Blair argued, scrambling to her feet and looking hysterical.

"How is that terrible? You've been wanting this your whole life, B! And you've especially been talking about it with Chuck!"

"Yes, but he says he wants to get his business back in order first. And last time…" Blair trailed off, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat all of a sudden. "You know.." she finished in a small voice.

"Blair," Serena said softly, stepping closer and putting her arms comfortingly around the brunette. "That wasn't your fault, you know that. So long as you don't get into any cars for the next eight to nine months, you'll be perfectly fine!"

Blair let out a miserable laugh.

"What if Chuck is upset?"

"Why in the world would he be upset?" Serena asked with a small laugh. "He was willing to take care of Louis' baby so long as he got to be with you. Why would he not want his own?"

"Maybe now he has me, he doesn't want it…" Blair shrugged, looking at the neatly tiled floors.

"You're completely ridiculous. Chuck loves you, and he's going to love that baby more than you can imagine." Serena said.

"I suppose…how should I tell him?"

"Over dinner. Just tell him. Can't be too hard, can it?"

"Was it hard going over to Dan's thinking he was going to propose?" Blair asked.

"Yes," Serena laughed. "But, thankfully, he had a very great and different reaction to that than I thought. Chuck will too, I promise."

"I don't know-"

"Listen," Serena said sternly, turning and facing Blair. "If you don't tell him, it won't matter. I will, but even if I wasn't going too, you're going to be getting fat. Therefore, he'll probably figure it out in the next four months. And if not, it'll be a real giveaway when you go into labor and have his child. So…to skip all the confusion that might come from _those_ options, not to mention anger, I'd say dinner tonight is the best option."

"You're right." Blair sighed.

"I know we are.."

"Are we sure he has to know?"

Serena laughed, shaking her head.

"Yes, B, he has to know."

Later that night, after Serena disappeared behind the elevator doors, Blair started pacing the penthouse restlessly. Though her best friend had graciously distracted her all day with talk about Dan, their relationship, and her newest job opportunity, the pressure of it all was finally sinking back in. She was scared. Scared of Chuck's reaction, scared of the pregnancy, scared of anything that could possibly go wrong in the next nine months. If she even got that far. _Don't do that!_ Blair chided herself sternly, scowling at her fingers, which were twisted together anxiously.

The bell on the elevators chimed and Blair's stomach turned over.

"Hey, love," Blair called, her voice strangely high-pitched as Chuck walked into the room, eyebrow raised at her behavior. He knew her too well, she thought this to herself. He was already figuring it out in his head, and if she didn't say it soon, he would know without being told.

"Hello Blair," he replied smoothly, giving her a welcoming kiss and then heading for the dining room. Blair followed closely behind him, working hard to keep her breathing in order. "What's wrong?"

"I just…think we should talk over dinner," Blair said, biting her lip as she sat in her usual spot at the head of the table. Chuck took his spot to her right, watching her with his brow furrowed in concern. Dorota entered the room with a handful of kitchen servants, carrying a couple trays of food. After setting them down, filling cups with champagne, the maids and butlers left hurriedly. They knew Blair was about to discuss something serious with her husband.

Even after food was served, Blair remained quiet, offering very strained smiles here and there as she piled her plate full of food, much more than she would have eaten normally. _Eating for two, that's my excuse,_ she said in her head. Chuck looked at her plate curiously, but didn't say anything, just gave himself a reasonable amount of the food served to them. Neither of the two picked up their forks to begin eating. Chuck sipped his champagne, Blair shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Blair, is something wrong?" Chuck demanded sharply, causing Blair to fidget more in her seat.

"There is…something I need to tell you…" she said, her voice coming out much quieter than she had intended.

"And that is…?"

"I-I-I-I'm pr-" she cut herself off, frowning and looking at the table, not wanting to say the word 'pregnant' so bluntly. Some softer word maybe? Something that might lessen the blow on Chuck. " _With child_ ,"

There was a moment of silence as Chuck processed her words. Then, very delayed, his eyes widened and a genuine smile, so different than his usual smirks, took over his lips. Blair peeked up at him through her eyelashes, seeing that his eyes were full of happiness and shock, and she let out a huge breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Her shoulders slackened, as though some heavy weight had been removed from them, and she offered a small smile.

"Is that okay?"

"Okay? Blair, this is wonderful!" Chuck nearly yelled, standing from his chair and pulling her to her feet as well. His hand went immediately to her stomach, and she stifled a laugh at his enthusiasm. "Do you know how far along?"

"No, I need to go to the doctor. I only just found out early this afternoon," Blair told him, shaking her head.

"We'll go first thing tomorrow." Chuck announced.

"I have an appointment for noon, Serena already set that up for me,"

"This is so great."

"Chuck, I'm scared," Blair whispered suddenly. His smile faded and he looked at her with concern filtering through his gaze.

"Wh-" understanding went through him. "Blair, that's not going to happen again." he told her firmly.

"But what if something else does-"

"You just have to be extra careful. _We_ have got to be extra careful. We just need to make sure you stay safe, and that you eat well, and you won't be drinking." Chuck instructed, kissing her forehead softly. "We can get through this,"

"Can we?" she asked softly.

"We can get through anything," he replied, kissing her.

Blair smiled into his lips, letting his promise settle into her head. They would get through this. They would have a baby. They would be a family.


	6. Chapter 6 - Nate

**A/N: Nate's chapter is hereee lovelies! (: I hope this doesn't disappoint!**

 **I just want to take a moment, again, to thank all of you for your awesome reviews. I love to see such positive reviews, and I'm so glad that you are all enjoying this story! Bare with me if it's a while before updates happen, I've gotten extremely busy since August, but I hope you stick around. And thank you again for being so lovely! '3 Love from this side of the screen!**

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Nate stepped out of his limo in front of the apartment building. It wasn't as nice as Serena's old place, or Blair's current living situation, but it wasn't too bad. Nate was impressed, to say the least. Though he didn't think the building was so bad, he wasn't exactly sure if he appreciated being here. He'd agreed to meet with them, but it was going to be difficult to have a conversation, especially with all the shit that Dan had done in the past few months. Sage was back at the Empire, probably still asleep.

For some reason, a bitter feeling spread through Nate as he thought of his girlfriend. A few months ago it seemed as if they were going great, but right now he was on a line, not really appreciating her much at the moment.

With a heavy sigh and a longing glance back to his limo, Nate finally headed into the building. There wasn't a doorman here, or maybe he was just off-duty at the moment, or on break. Whichever the case, it felt weird for Nate to open the doors himself, which he knew would make anyone call him a spoiled brat. It wasn't his fault. He'd gotten used to the doors automatically opening in his presence, so there wasn't a reason to judge because it was a little odd when he had to do it himself. The woman at the desk was busy on the phone, so Nate simply smiled politely and pressed the elevator button. It took several moments for it to ding open, and he stepped in once it did. It took a minute to get to the right floor, and he was regretting it more and more every step he took down the hall.

Finally, he was at the right door. He knocked three times, then pushed both hands deep into his pockets. It didn't take long for a gorgeous blonde to open the door, mid-laugh, looking back at another person that was out of sight. Nate smiled when Serena looked back at him, and she smiled back.

"Nate! Come in," she insisted, stepping aside for him to walk in, closing the door after him. Nate walked casually through the apartment, and he turned the corner to find Dan sitting at a table. It was a few steps away from the door leading to the balcony, and he was shifting through some papers, maybe something he'd been working on. He had a smile on his face. Nate felt the bitter feeling from downstairs sharpen, but he didn't make it known his feelings. Dan looked up after a moment, offering a hesitant smile and standing, shaking Nate's hand formally.

"I'm glad you came, Nate. I wanted to talk,"

"I gathered from the phone call, when you said you wanted to talk," Nate replied with a short chuckle. Dan nodded and breathed a tentative laugh, sitting back down at the table. Serena brought three glasses of water from the kitchen and sat down beside of Dan, taking his hand under the table. Nate noticed this, and he felt a pang of jealousy at their relationship. Dan was so lucky, and though he hated himself for admitting it, so was Serena. Dan was a great guy, and it was obvious those two loved each other. Nate almost laughed at how ridiculously in love they were.

"So you're all moved in now?" he asked Serena casually.

"Yeah. Just got all my stuff in last week. Been a long move," she laughed lightly. "I had a lot more stuff than I realized."

"Bit of a change, don't you think? Penthouse to this?"

"It is, but, it's worth it." Serena smiled, biting her lip and looking over at Dan. Another pang of jealousy surged through Nate. Why couldn't he be this happy with Sage? With anyone?

"So, what'd you want to talk about, Dan?" Nate asked, switching subjects smoothly and quickly. Dan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, using his free hand to take a sip of water.

"I want to start and end with an apology," Dan said bluntly, though Nate noticed the sincerity and nervousness behind it. "I suck for doing all the stuff I've done. And I wish I could have done this sooner, but you've been either fake busy or real busy every time I've called," Dan chuckled - again it was tentative. Like he was afraid chuckling too much would cause an earthquake.

"You caught me," Nate smirked.

"Anyways. I shouldn't have done what I did. Posting those chapters, betraying you and the newspaper, anything really. I know you kind of act okay with me, but to be so 'busy' every time I try to hang out, you've obviously got some anger. I'm trying to make amends with everyone. I kind of miss having actual friends,"

Nate laughed despite himself.

"I'm willing to forgive and forget." he answered, and was surprised to find that he was telling the truth.

"Are you sure? Is there anything you want me to do? Want to hit me or something?" Dan asked, raising his eyebrow in disbelief. Apparently he had expected more. Nate smiled.

"No, I'm good man. I just wanted to hear you apologize, and hear you _mean_ it." Nate said, shrugging.

"I'd have done it sooner if you weren't so damn busy all the time," Dan said, laughing quietly.

"I'm a busy man, Humphrey. You caught me on a good day," Nate chuckled.

"So, how's Sage?" Serena asked, speaking up for the first time since they'd sat.

"Oh, she's…" Nate trailed off, frowning and looking at the table.

"Uh-oh…" Serena said, tilting her head slightly. "What's wrong?"

"I've just…I think I'm starting to realize just how young she is, y'know?" Nate asked, frowning deeper and looking back up. "Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah. You're starting to see that she's actually a bit immature…?" Dan asked.

"I never liked her anyways," Serena put in honestly.

"Thanks," Nate laughed, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do."

"Tell her," Dan suggested.

"I can't do that." Nate sighed. "Man, I'm so jealous of you guys. You're so…happy. I don't know if I'll ever be like that with anyone."

"You will, Nate. You're a great guy, any girl would be lucky to have you." Serena assured him sincerely.

"Thanks…"

Nate looked around the apartment, at how small it was compared to the places his other friends lived. Blair and Chuck still lived in the Waldorf penthouse, which was bigger than one might think. There were so many extra rooms and closets, it was a wonder anyone found their way around it. The Empire Suite was the same way, though Nate normally just stuck to what was necessary. What was the point of going through four or five bedrooms every morning when you didn't use them? Serena's old place was only a bit small than the Waldorf's, but with just the same amount of rooms, only tinier. Then there was this place. All Nate could tell, there were two bedrooms, a bathroom and probably another bathroom through the master bedroom. The kitchen was open floor plan with the rest, and though the space was quite large, it was nothing compared to anyone else's. However, he could tell that Serena and Dan were perfectly comfortable with it, which sent another pang of jealousy.

Briefly, he wondered if Sage would be okay with him if he didn't live in a hotel suite.

"Well," he said finally, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. "I actually have something I need to take care of. But, we should hang out soon, Dan."

"Sounds great," Dan replied, standing up and shaking Nate's hand again, firmly this time. Serena stood as well and gave Nate a kiss on the cheek, smiling at him, not knowing just what Nate had to take care of at the moment.

"I'll see you guys later." Nate said, turning to leave. Before he got far, he remembered something and turned around again, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know why Blair and Chuck are throwing a party?"

"Yes, but if she hasn't told you, we can't either. I think she wants it to be a surprise." Serena answered, her eyes lighting up, making Nate assume whatever Blair's news was would be spectacular. _No less than anything Blair announces,_ he thought with a small chuckle.

"Alright. See you later then," and he left. After he closed the door behind him and heard the murmuring of the couple conversing through the wood, his thoughts went to Sage again. Oh, this afternoon was going to go from good to shit in about half an hour. _You've done this before, don't be nervous._ He thought, walking down the hall and towards the elevator again.


	7. Chapter 7 - Serena

**A/N: Okay, this is in Serena's perspective, so I think I should give a fair warning. As you might notice from my previous Serena chapter, I'm not very good with her. Partly because she was one of my least favorite characters, and partly because her personality is just too sporadic for me. So, I'm really sorry that this chapter is a bit disappointing. I'm just no good with Serena. :(**

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When Serena walked into the Waldorf penthouse with Dan at her side, her first thought was how expensive all of this must have been. Sure the Waldorf and Bass fortunes put together would have equaled a lot of extra cash - and definitely _a lot_ \- this still seemed a bit over the top. Everything was blue. This came as a surprise to Serena, because Blair usually didn't go with one, simple color as the scheme of the party. Today, however, she had. The couch was covered with blue satin, the chairs were covered in the same thing. The walls were draped over with blue, only bits and pieces of the actual wall were showing. Blair was in one of her best blue dresses, one hand on her stomach protectively, and Chuck was in one of his best blue suits. The flowers were blue - and this really got to Serena, as Blair's favorite flowers were definitely _not_ blue - and even Dorota and her two children were in blue, along with the rest of the staff.

Serena suddenly felt like the odd one out. Instead of choosing a blue - which had _not_ been specified in the invitation - she had chosen a soft lavender. One of her favorite dresses that she'd just bought a couple of weeks ago. Dan had gone with a baby blue, so it was luck he had dressed appropriately. Or maybe Blair had told him beforehand, and he hadn't mentioned it. Serena made sure that she added a mental note to ask him about that later.

There were already tons of other guests there. Eleanor and Cyrus of course - both dressed in blue. Jack Bass, Georgina Sparks, Nate, Serena's mother and father, Jenny - which made Serena do a double take - and, of course, Blair's usual side-group. They weren't so active now as they used to be, but Blair seemed to want them by her side for security that she was still Queen of _something_. No matter how many times Serena and Chuck tried to convince her to get rid of them, because they were incredibly obnoxious, Blair refused, claiming that they were some of her best friends. It was ridiculous, but Serena supposed tonight wasn't the best night to bring such a thing up. It was, after all, Blair's announcement party.

"Serena!" Jenny called from where she stood near Blair and Chuck. It looked like she had actually been in conversation with them. Serena exchanged a look with Dan, but he just shrugged and started towards them. Serena followed behind closely.

"Hey Jen." Dan greeted, smiling. "Blair, Chuck."

"Humphrey," Chuck nodded. "I think I'll go and speak to Nate. Lovely dress, Serena." and he walked off casually. Blair shook her head.

"What's…this?" Serena asked curiously, looking between Jenny and Blair.

"I thought Dan told you?" Jenny replied, glaring at her brother briefly. "Blair and I are starting a new line."

"Oh yeah! He did tell me that. I guess I just couldn't believe my ears." Serena laughed lightly.

"I couldn't believe it either. You know she actually came to _Brooklyn_ to talk to me? It was really bizarre." Jenny replied with a shrug and a small look at Blair, who rolled her eyes.

"Jenny is good with making dresses, and I'm running a business that _thrives_ only because of designers like her. It's time for me to step out of Queen B's shoes and into Blair Bass' - president of the best damn clothes lines in the country!"

"That's a good way to look at it," Dan nodded. Serena glanced over at him to see that he was staring over at Nate and Chuck, who were talking somewhat urgently with one another. She nudged him with her elbow.

"Why don't you go talk to them?"

"I don't think Chuck wants me around…" Dan replied, frowning.

"He doesn't hate you, Dan. Despite what it looked like just then, he had already been telling me he was going to talk to Nate anyways." Blair assured Dan.

Dan looked carefully back over to the guys, back to Blair, then shrugged and left the girls to talk amongst themselves. Serena watched him with a small smile, loving to just watch him as he greeted the other two. He had come so far from the boy in Brooklyn to now, hanging with the big dogs at a party thrown by Blair Waldorf-Bass. Serena couldn't help but commend herself for this accomplishment, or else he'd still be 'Lonely Boy', striving for attention.

"So! Did you find out what it was yet?" the excited voice of Jenny brought Serena back to the moment, and she looked at Blair expectantly.

"No! But, we are hoping it's a boy. Girls are too much," Blair said.

"Got that right," Serena nodded.

"Aw! I hope it's a boy too. What do you think you'd name him?"

"Something with an 'H'. Even if it's a girl, 'H' would be the prize winner. I've always loved names that begin with 'H'." Blair replied, looking sort of dreamy for a moment.

"What about Henry?" Serena suggested.

"Oh! Henry's a good name," Jenny agreed, beaming.

"I'll think about it. Oh! More people are arriving. Excuse me ladies," Blair smiled and then hurried over to the door to greet the arriving guests. They were all people that Serena knew, but hadn't ever spoken to before in her life. Most likely because she wasn't high class enough to be in their correspondence group, as she had gotten into a lot of trouble before.

Before Serena could strike up a conversation with Jenny, the blonde trailed off, heading towards Dan and the other two guys. Serena watched curiously, wondering what interest Jenny had in the group, but didn't dwell on it long. There really was no reason too. Instead, she turned and started drifting from person to person, making small talk with some of the people, not nearing her parents at all. She spoke longer to Eleanor and Cyrus, but eventually could tell they wanted to talk alone, so she drifted away from them as well. After about an hour had passed, she found herself in the kitchen, sitting on a stool and watching the maids cook dinner. None of them spoke to her, but they did cast her anxious glances now and then, maybe afraid she had been sent in to make sure they were doing their jobs properly.

"Miss. Serena, what are you doing in here alone?" Dorota wondered, entering the kitchen with her children in stow.

"Just thinking. I don't want to bother Dan, since he's just been 'accepted' back with his friends, and Blair's hosting. Basically I'm the only person I can talk to," Serena chuckled, but without humor.

"Well, you should go out and there and bother Mr. Dan!" Dorota scolded, putting her hands on her hips. Serena noticed just now that Dorota's stomach was looking slightly bloated, and her eyes widened with excitement.

"Again?! _Dorota_!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and hugging the woman. "That's incredible!"

"Oh, you noticed?" Dorota asked, looking worried all of a sudden. "I don't want to take this moment from Mrs. Blair. She is very excited, I do not want to ruin it for her."

"She'll be thrilled to know! Maybe don't announce it at her shower, but still, you need to tell her! She'll find out sooner or later," Serena laughed, still beaming.

"You think she will be happy?"

"Of course she will." Serena promised. "Now I think I'm going to go and get my boyfriend," she winked, strolling from the kitchen and back out into the party.


	8. Chapter 8 - Nate

**A/N: Alright, two chapters in one night! WOOT! And this chapter I was very happy to write. I absolutely love this pairing - for some reason, I dunno guys, xD - and I just had this idea right now after I published my Serena chapter. PLEASE ENJOY! (:**

 **WARNING: _implied _ mature themes, but _non-explicit!_**

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Nate stumbled out of the elevator when it reached the penthouse, taking his jacket off as he went, with the help of the woman attached to his lips. He, in turn, helped her remove her own black jacket, still moving forwards. The pair only stopped when her back suddenly slammed into the wall - knocking a picture from the wall in the process - and they pulled apart, gasping for breath. Nate still had one hand locked in her blonde hair and the other on her waist, and she was holding onto his belt loops. For a moment, they just stared at one another, trying to control their breathing from the heated moment in the elevator and figure out what the hell this was.

"What happened to Sage?" she asked. Nate almost laughed out loud. She had just thought to ask that now? It was a little late to _not_ cheat on Sage, if he was still with her.

"I broke up with her yesterday," he admitted, looking at the painting that had dropped from the wall.

"Oh." Jenny replied, looking at the painting as well. "I'm sorry, that sucks."

"Not really. I just realized a few things about her and our relationship,"

"Like what?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Nate told her, and he pressed his lips to hers again. For a second, he thought she wouldn't do the same, but then she did, and the heat was back.

Nate pulled her away from the wall and led her to his room, closing the door with his foot on the way and pushing her towards the bed. She broke the kiss long enough to slip her shirt off and fall back onto the bed. Nate removed his own shirt and joined her, beginning the kiss once more. Nate was surprised at the whole situation. It really had come out of nowhere, this night. He remembered just standing, talking to Dan and Chuck and Jenny, and the next thing he knew, here they were. Making out on his bed, removing pieces of clothing bit by bit. Never had he imagined this happening with him and Jenny. The time he'd kissed her outside of that girl's apartment, it was different. He had only been trying to prove a point.

Now? Nate wasn't even sure. All he knew was that he wasn't upset about it. Confused, sure, but upset? Absolutely not. Jenny was most obviously not a kid anymore, and Nate certainly was far from that. At this moment, he didn't care why this was happening, how it happened, or if it should happen. He just cared that it cleared his mind.

* * *

The next morning, Nate woke up alone. His arm was draped over the other side of the bed, like it had been over Jenny and she'd simply slipped from under it. His shirt was missing from the floor, and he could hear someone in the kitchen. _She must have gotten up earlier to eat or something,_ he thought to himself, shifting out from under the covers. He slipped into a pair of jeans that was laying on the top of his dresser and went to join her. She was standing over the stove in his shirt, making eggs, and a glass of orange juice was on the counter beside of her. When she noticed him walk in, she smiled a little bit.

"Morning," she said quietly.

"Morning," he replied, walking over to stand beside of her. He wasn't sure whether or not to kiss her, so he kept his distance and just looked down at what she was cooking. "Hope you made me some too?"

"Of course," she smiled a little more. "It would be a little rude of me not to make you breakfast. I am your guest after all." she teased. Nate chuckled.

"Number one rule for all guests; they have to make breakfast."

Jenny just laughed, shaking her head and focusing on the eggs again. Nate shifted uncomfortably, biting his tongue and wondering what it is he could say to her right now. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to say last night was a mistake, a one time thing, or something else. He wasn't even sure what he wanted himself to think about last night. It was a huge mistake in the aspect of how much trouble it was already causing him internally. But why did it have to be so difficult? Either it was a one night stand or something else. If he could decide that himself, than that was the end of his own issues. The problem would be Jenny's opinion on it. Nate took a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak.

"Jenny-"

"I know, I know. Last night was a mistake, it can't ever happen again. Blah blah blah, I've heard that line before." Jenny interrupted with a sigh, moving the eggs to the counter to cool off and turning to go towards the bedroom. "I'm going to change, eat, and leave. No big deal." Nate caught her arm before she could get far and spun her back around, making her yelp in surprise.

"I wasn't going to say that," he told her, drawing her closer. "I was going to say that last night was amazing and thank you for breakfast."

"Well you're welcome for both," Jenny smirked. Nate chuckled and brought her even closer, kissing her gently. He pulled back not long after the kiss, but Jenny was still smiling, and so was he.

"I should probably go home. My dad will be worried," Jenny told him, biting her lip hesitantly.

"You're a big girl now, I think he'll be fine waiting for just a little while. Enough time to finish our breakfast?" Nate suggested, raising an eyebrow and moving his hands to her sides. Jenny shrugged.

"I think we have enough time for that," she winked. Nate smirked.

"Good," he answered, kissing her again.

As their kisses increased in heat and he pushed her against the fridge, he thought of how stupid it was to do this. Dan would be upset, Serena might get upset, and what if this was just him rebounding from Sage? What if this was just Nate trying to fix his problems by hooking up with Jenny? If he didn't actually like her, he'd hurt her bad if he had to end this. Then what would Dan do? They had just become friends again. But for some reason, the rational part of Nate's mind was being drowned and muted by the irrational part that was focused solely on Jenny and her body. _I'll figure it out later,_ he promised himself, falling into a clear and happy mind once again.


	9. Chapter 9 - Dan

**A/N: Alright, I know this chapter is short, but it's something I had to get out of the way so I could move the story along. Sorry! :) And it may not be the best written, but it's what I got. Hope you don't get too disappointed!**

 **Now, I just want to say something. This story got so much more attention than I ever imagined it would, and it makes me so happy to see! It always makes me really happy to read all of your warm reviews and eagerness for the next chapter to be updated, and let me just tell you. It boosts my morale so much. There are so many things in my life that just get me down, but when I come on here and see people actually enjoying something that I wrote, it makes me so happy. All in all - so we don't get too mushy, haha - I really appreciate all of you guys who are fans of this story. I appreciate you reading it, and I appreciate you for reviewing so nicely. I just wanted to say that and tell you all how much it means to me.**

 **Love from this side of the screen, Me! :) ,3**

* * *

Dan stepped out of the elevator into the entrance way of the Empire Hotel, his eyes immediately catching the fallen painting that was laying unceremoniously on its side. There was a faint sound of someone in the shower, and Dan could hear another set of voices in the living room. He stepped around the wall separating the elevator from the living area and saw Chuck and Nate sitting on the couch, having a drink, and talking in low voices. When Nate caught sight of him, a look of guilt appeared but then faded quickly, unfortunately Dan noticed.

"Hey, Dan," Nate said, his voice holding that tone it gets when he's trying to hide something.

"Nate, hey Chuck." Dan greeted, nodding briefly to the other two men in the room.

"Humphrey," Chuck replied, a small smirk appearing on his face as he took another sip of his drink. "If you came to see Blair, she's in the shower."

"Why's she showering here?"

"We stayed over last night," Chuck said evenly.

"Okay." Dan glanced over at Nate, who was giving Chuck a grateful look. His expression changed when he noticed Dan watching, and he just smiled.

"I'm…uh…going to give her a towel. I forgot she asked for one when she first went in." Nate laughed, but it was stuttered.

"I'll keep Humphrey occupied," Chuck winked, standing from the couch and leading Dan over to the bar in the middle of the room while Nate disappeared into the bedroom. Dan watched him until the door closed and Chuck clinked another glass onto the bar.

"Alright, cut the crap, Bass. Who's actually in there?" Dan demanded, looking at the other man expectantly.

"It's not my place to say,"

"Since when did you learn your place?"

"No need to be so rude in my hotel."

"Why's Nate hiding whoever that girl is?" Dan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've told you already, Humphrey, it's not my place."

"Fine, then I'll figure out myself." Dan growled impatiently, turning from the bar and heading for the room. Chuck merely shrugged and followed, looking mildly entertained.

"You'll love this," he muttered quietly.

As Dan neared the door to the bedroom, he heard voices from inside, and one of them stuck out so familiar that he was almost too shocked to say anything. Why in the hell would she be here right now? Without waiting, Dan slammed the door open, glaring at the sources of the voices, and seeing exactly what he thought. Jenny - wrapped in a towel - was standing at the bathroom door, and Nate was standing in front of her, looking like he was about to kiss her. When the door hit the wall, both of them jumped and spun around to face Dan. Jenny groaned in embarrassment and ducked her head, and Nate just swallowed nervously.

"Jenny?" was the only thing Dan could get out. He had a sudden urge to hit Nate in the face as hard as he could.

"Dan…" Nate began, holding out his hands defensively.

" _What the hell, man?_ " Dan suddenly yelled, starting to make a move towards Nate, but Chuck grabbed hold of his shoulder and held him still.

"Dan, it's not what it-"

"Not what it looks like, huh?" Dan shouted, looking incredulous. "My sister is _naked_ in your bedroom! How is it _anything_ but what it looks like?"

"She just stayed over…that's all, she didn't want to-"

"Will you stop it?" Jenny snapped, glaring between Nate and Dan. "Yes it's exactly what it looks like. But who cares? I'm _twenty_! I can do whatever I want!"

"Jenny-!"

"I'm going to get dressed, and then-" she glared sharply at Nate. "I'm leaving." with this, she turned and slammed the bathroom door closed again, leaving the three guys alone in the room. Nate looked at Dan with a small sigh.

"Look, man-"

"I can't believe this. I'm leaving too." Dan interrupted, shaking his head. "Unbelievable." he kept muttering that over and over as he stalked to the elevator, hitting the button so hard he nearly jammed his finger, cursing at the sharp sting that was now in his index finger.

"Dan, will you just listen-?"

"Don't even try to explain this Nate!" Dan snapped, turning back to the other guy. "I can't believe you!"

"Dan!"

"Just shut the hell up, alright?" Dan interrupted again, turning when the elevator dinged open and stepping in, closing the doors before Nate could say anything else.


	10. Chapter 10 - Blair

**A/N: First off, I apologize for the wait on this chapter! I've been rather busy!**

 **Next, to answer a question asked by a guest reviewer from the previous chapter (Guest): I don't have a chapter in Chuck's perspective, because I am afraid of messing up his character. It's just so sublime, and I don't want to screw it up, you know what I mean? It's hard enough to keep him as he is when he just appears during other perspectives, and I like to keep his character more mysterious. I like to keep him like he is in the show, hardly ever knowing what he's thinking and why. It's more intriguing for myself. Does that make sense?**

* * *

Three days after her party, Blair woke up alone. Chuck was not there to greet her with kisses and promises of love, but in his place was a letter. A terrible feeling sunk into Blair's stomach, and her hand went to it instinctively, as if she were protecting her unborn baby. The last time he'd left her a note it had said he was leaving. She couldn't believe, after so long, he'd do that again. She didn't think fully that was what it was, but she couldn't help but feel this was a terrible note, telling her he had decided he didn't want a baby with her, but was going to live out his days as the _real_ Chuck Bass. Blair shivered, shaking that thought from her head. He wouldn't do that. Cautiously, she lifted the note and opened it, breathing slowly.

 _Blair,_

 _Don't be alarmed. I've only gone over to Nate's. He and I have business to discuss. Come over if you have the time today. Remember that I love you._

 _Chuck_

Blair smiled after reading the letter, all doubts swept from her mind, and she lay the letter gingerly on her side table. Later, she'd wrap it in pretty silk and tuck it away. All things that reminded her of Chuck were to be tucked away in case something terrible happened and she needed his memory to keep her going. She didn't normally think this way, but after the crash that had nearly killed Chuck and had killed her first child, it was hard not to think the worst sometimes. People were cynical these days, and she wasn't going to put it past anyone to want to kill Chuck Bass. He was, after all, one of the most wealthiest men in Manhattan. A lot of people got bitter about things like that.

"Dorota!" Blair called, standing up and stretching with a sigh.

"Yes, Mrs. Blair?" Dorota answered, stepping through the door almost instantly after being called. Always the punctual one.

"Is breakfast ready?"

"It has been ready since Mr. Chuck left. That was many hours ago."

"Never mind, then. You know how I despise cold breakfast." Blair replied, waving the woman away and closing the door. She had several things to accomplish today. One thing was to begin changing Serena's old room into a nursery. Chuck had been the one to suggest they put the baby in that room, seeing as it was the closest to theirs, and they would be able to hear their child easier. Blair, of course, had no objections. She would be more protective of her son - obviously it would be a boy - then anything else in her life. So, while Chuck was off doing business she would be transforming the nursery. Then, there was a meeting she had with Jenny Humphrey. Apparently she had more designs to show, and Blair was really eager to see them.

Despite the fact that she used to hate that girl, it was obvious she had talent that Blair simply couldn't ignore. Besides, she wasn't that bad once you got to talk to her. Blair was embarrassed of the things she'd done in high-school, and honestly was shocked that some many people in her life had forgiven her for it. She had been a real bitch then, and even in college as well. She'd only really mellowed out when she'd married Chuck, and nothing was wrong in her life. With Chuck by her side, she felt that nothing in her life could ever go wrong.

"First things first," Blair murmured to herself out loud. "get dressed."

She proceeded to choose a simple dress, yellow with a brown belt across her waist, and a hair band with a yellow flower on top. Still her usual, classy self, even after college and marriage. After deciding she was presentable, she stepped through the adjoining bathroom and into the second bedroom. It was large, larger than any nursery Blair had ever seen, and that was perfect. Her son would get the best treatment, the best of everything, if it killed her.

"That bed has to go, but I don't want to get rid of it. Maybe we could move that to another guest room for now," Blair said, looking over at Dorota, who she'd called in moments earlier.

"Of course, Mrs. Blair. I get friends to move it soon as I can."

"Thank you, Dorota," Blair smiled warmly, then looked around again. "The crib will go under the window. We'll get him toys already, and put them around and about. He'll have a dresser, and we'll put it right there next to the door. The closet can be used for his formal clothes and necessities."

"Will we get a new dresser, or use this one?" Dorota asked.

"I'll talk to Chuck about it, we'll decide on that later. First thing to do is get rid of that bed so we can get the crib in here. Get that done while I'm at my meeting with Jenny,"

"Of course, Mrs. Blair."

"I'll be back by dinner, and it better be done!" Blair said sternly, simpering and then walking swiftly from the room. By now, it was noon, and her meeting with Jenny was at one. It would take a good half hour to get to Brooklyn, where they usually met at the loft, which gave Blair another half hour to go and see Chuck. So, once she had settled into her limo, she gave the orders to The Empire, and ten minutes later she was stepping out onto the sidewalk.

Blair walked purposefully into the hotel and up the elevator, ignoring everyone else in the building and focusing solely on getting to the penthouse. Finally, the ding echoed around her, and the doors opened to show the wall separating the elevator from the rest of the house. The painting usually on the wall was on the floor, but looked like it had been placed there purposefully. Blair walked around the wall and looked around. On the sofa was Jenny Humphrey, drinking a glass of scotch - which made Blair frown - and reading through a fashion magazine. Chuck was at the bar, staring out the window and drinking his own scotch. Nate was nowhere in sight, but she heard the sound of the shower going.

"Humphrey?" she questioned. Both occupants of the room turned to look at her. Chuck smiled, placed his glass down, and came to give her a kiss in greeting.

"Oh, hey Blair," Jenny answered, smiling as well. "Chuck said you might stop by."

"I wasn't aware you'd stop by." Blair answered, raising an eyebrow in question.

"She came for Nate." Chuck replied smoothly, his voice the same alluring tone as usual, making Blair struggle to keep her posture.

"Really?"

"Yeah. We're…" Jenny rolled her eyes. "I don't know what. We sleep together, that's as much as I know right now."

"Didn't see _that_ coming," Blair mocked, sitting down across from Jenny.

"Unlike you, I'm being honest when I say that I didn't either."

"Then you're blind. Even when he thought he was madly in love with Serena, that tension was so obvious. Why do you think Serena was so jealous?"

"Never noticed she was," Jenny replied sarcastically, her eyes moving back to the magazine and scanning the pages.

Blair, on the other hand, turned her attention to Chuck, who had seated himself next to her and his arm was spread along the couch behind her head. She shifted closer to him, happy to simply be sitting next to him. She'd never felt such a strong urge of love for him before today, not even when she'd been striving for him. Since her senior year in high school, she'd been dead set on making him admit his love for her, and now that it was done, she couldn't be happier. Some part of her always thought it would be boring if he finally admitted it, and their little game of cat and mouse was over. But his admittance of love had only made it that much better. She couldn't imagine a life without him.

"Blair, what's up?" Nate spoke up, coming out of the bedroom. His hair was damp from the shower, and he was wearing the usual for him, a nice suit, though his tie was missing. He sat down next to Jenny, greeting her with a small kiss and then leaning back to cross his ankle over his knee.

"So, you two are together now, I hear." Blair commented, looking curious. Nate pursed his lips, looking around the room, as though trying to find something to use as an escape from the question.

"I mean, I wouldn't say we are… _together_. Just, getting there, maybe?"

"Not really." Jenny muttered under her breath, not breaking her gaze from the magazine, but Blair could tell she wasn't really reading it anymore.

"You're the one-" Nate began hotly, but she interrupted him.

"I'm the one that wanted more and you're the one that told Dan it was a fling. So don't go making me look like the person who doesn't want it," her voice was dull, but there was just the faintest trace of hurt in her tone. Blair decided not to mention it.

"We should just ignore it."

"I bet Dan is angry,"

"He's not angry, he's pissed. He hasn't talked to me since he found out," Nate said, frowning and looking a bit disappointed. "I'm an idiot. We'd just made up from his stupid mistake, and then I went and-"

"Made a mistake, did you?" Jenny's head snapped up sharply, and she glared at him.

"I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say, I went and slept with his sister." Nate flashed back, looking irritated. "Look, Jenny, can we just get this conversation over with already?"

"What conversation?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Uh, I'm going to go. Chuck," Blair said, standing and looking between Nate and Jenny awkwardly. "Let's go out for lunch. Jenny, we'll reschedule. I'm going to let you two settle this."

"Blair-"

"Nope. Sorry, I have other plans. We'll have to reschedule." Blair stopped Jenny before she could object and started towards the elevator again, looking back once. "Chuck!"

Chuck jumped up from the couch and followed, giving Nate a look of sympathy before meeting Blair by the elevator.

"How generous of you, Mrs. Bass." Chuck smirked after they had gotten into Blair's limo downstairs.

"That's just the kind of person I am," Blair simpered, leaning over and kissing Chuck, a long kiss, before pulling back and looking up towards the window that led to the cab of the car.

"Back home, please. A change of plans," she ordered, then pressed the button that closed the window and turned back to Chuck with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I always love it when you have that look in your eyes," Chuck chuckled, taking hold of her waist and moving her to his lap. Blair smiled sweetly at him, putting one hand on her cheek gently and then kissing him again softly, barely brushing their lips together.

"You tease," Chuck said, bringing her in for a more deep kiss. Easily, the kiss slipped from deep to deeper and more passionate, and Blair ignored the driver when he announced they had arrived back home, keeping her attention solely on her husband and her want. Yes, being married to Chuck was a great way of life.


	11. Chapter 11 - Nate

**A/N: A few things.**

 **1) I'm so, super sorry that I haven't updated in a super long time. I'm very, very, very, very, VERY busy in my day-to-day life and it's really hard for me to even get on my laptop that often. I'm going to have a few days in the next couple of weeks to hopefully update a few times to give you all something to settle some stomachs.**

 **2) I won't be able to update all that much. I'm very busy, as I mentioned above, so updates will be a bit far between. Not necessarily _rare_ , but definitely far between. I do try, though, which is why this is being updated today. And I'll hopefully have another couple chapters up in the next day or two. **

**3) This chapter is a bit (and I mean bit as in very little) raunchy. There is suggestive themes, but as you all know, I don't write explicit. This is basically as explicit as I'm getting, but it's still up there I guess. Haha. More than I usually do, that's for sure.**

 **4) This may not be the best edited, but I did try to catch mistakes.**

* * *

"I'm so glad we figured this out," Nate said, falling onto the bed with Jenny and kissing her while working on the zipper of her shirt. Jenny nodded breathlessly.

"Uh-huh," was all she could manage, lifting his shirt over his head and throwing it to the side. Nate pulled back briefly and looked at her, one eyebrow raised up.

"You're sure?"

"Look, Nate, I get it. You just got out of a relationship, I'll give you some time, no worries." Jenny shrugged, pulling him back down by the shoulders and kissing him again. He continued on with undressing her, getting them both down to undergarments. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he moved them further onto the bed, and the kiss looked to deepen, but he broke it again. Jenny sighed.

"Are you sure, really? I don't want to hurt you or anything-"

"Nate, I'm _fine_. Come on," she insisted, pulling him back down again, but he broke from her grasp and shook his head.

"I'm not. I can't do this." he argued, shifting to sit beside of her instead, making her roll her eyes and glare up at the ceiling.

"What is it that you can't do, Nate? Because the other night, you seemed perfectly capable-"

"It's not that I can't do _it_ , it's that I just… _can't…_ do it. The whole, no strings, just benefits thing." Nate explained, standing up and running a hand through his hair.

"Why?"

"Because-" he broke off, taking in a deep breath and looking in the other direction, looking as though he wanted to make sure this was what he wanted to say. "I… _care_ about you, Jenny. I just can't do something like that to someone I care about."

"If you care so much, than make it more. Let's actually be a couple, Nate." Jenny snapped, sitting on her knees at the edge of the bed.

"It's not just you, either," he frowned. "It's Dan too. I don't want to…lose him as a friend. He's _pissed_ as it is, it would only make it worse."

"You do know that the only reason he hates you so much right now is because you called me a one-night stand, right?"

"Wh-"

"He would have been fine if you'd just told him what you've been telling me. You _care_ about me, you _want_ to be with me. By calling me a one-nighter, it just pissed him off even more." Jenny explained, reaching forward to grab his hands and pull him over to her. She put her arms around his neck, waiting for a reply.

"That…makes perfect sense." Nate told her, shaking his head and trying to turn away, but Jenny held fast to his neck. "How could I not realize that?"

"Because you're an idiot." Jenny offered, smiling. "Especially if you're seriously going to have second thoughts right now, because-"

"Now that I think about it," Nate smirked, sliding his hands under her thighs and lifting her up. "I might have been a bit quick-minded."

"I knew you'd rethink that," she said, kissing him and pulling on his neck so they fell down to the bed again. They repositioned themselves, Jenny now straddling Nate, their passion growing, until once again, Nate broke the kiss.

"God, Nate, it's like you don't want to have sex with me!" Jenny huffed.

"You're wrong on that," Nate chuckled. "I just wanted to say…maybe we could be a couple…if you think-"

"I think that we can talk about this later," Jenny insisted, cutting him off before he could say anything else and going to remove his boxers. Finally, and Nate was relieved himself that he wasn't going to interrupt again, he lost any complaints or problems, and he let pleasure take over his thoughts.

* * *

"So, great news, man." welcomed Nate as Chuck stepped out of the elevator in the Empire.

"What's that? Little Humphrey finally give up love?" Chuck smirked.

"No," Nate chuckled, following his best friend to the mini bar. "Jenny and I are officially going to be a couple. And we're 'announcing' at your party tomorrow night."

"By announcing, I hope you don't have a toast prepared, because I'm not calling you up to speak." Chuck said, pouring them both a glass of scotch.

"I mean, we'll show up together, maybe kiss a few times, the usual, _elite_ way." Nate countered, sipping from his cup.

"In this city, the 'elite' way is to be caught having sex in the _coat_ closet,"

"Well, I'll go old-fashioned," Nate smirked. "We'll leave _that_ for _here_."

"Don't ruin my good coats, Nathaniel, I'd have to kick you out," Chuck said, placing his glass down. "Where is the little Humphrey anyway?"

"Talking to Dan. Now that we're official, she wanted to sit down with him, without me there, so he isn't so angry."

"Smart girl. Trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of Humphrey punch, I hate to admit it, but he's not bad off."

"Thanks for _that_ ," Nate sighed, setting down his drink and standing up. "I'd better call her, see if she's told him yet. I'll see you tomorrow night, tell Blair I said hey."

"Will do, Archibald." Chuck tipped his glass as Nate went for the elevator, pulling out his phone on the way.

After calling Jenny and getting a place to meet her and Dan for dinner, Nate stepped out of the elevators in the Empire lobby to see someone he didn't expect standing at the counter. She was wearing her best get-up, with her black hair fixed very nice, and if Nate wasn't seeing things, it looked like she had dressed to seduce. It certainly wasn't working on the clerk, which he supposed was a good thing. She looked towards him, and realizing it was in fact, Nate, said bye to the clerk and clicked towards him on her heels. Nate sighed, stepping to the side, though making it clear he wasn't going to offer her a drink at the bar.

"Nate!" Sage cried, smiling happily and throwing her arms around him, giving him a kiss before he could stop her. Gently, he removed her and took a small step back, which made her pout. "I've been trying to get that clerk to let me up, but he says I'm not allowed."

"You're not. You don't rent a room and you aren't a guest, therefore you can't enter." Nate told her, keeping his voice as even as possible.

"I'm your guest though, he's seen me with you before!" Sage argued, giggling falsely and laying a hand on his arm. Nate almost couldn't stop the laughter that threatened to escape at her attempts.

"What do you want, Sage?"

"I thought we'd go to dinner, talk about us." she suggested, straightening up and smiling.

"Sorry, Sage, I have plans." Nate declined, starting to walk past her, but she grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"With who? Chuck? Serena? Dan? Reschedule, I'm sure they'll understand."

"Actually, I'm having dinner with Jenny Humphrey, and Dan."

"See, they'll understand, they know about us-"

"There is no us, Sage. I broke up with you." Nate shrugged. "I'm not changing my mind."

"Come on, you know you were just mad because-"

"I wasn't mad, Sage, I finally realized that we'd never work out. I'm sorry you can't see that too, but I have to go, or I'll be late."

"Nate-"

"I'm seeing Jenny, now, Sage. Please, leave me alone." Nate snapped, jerking his wrist free and leaving the Empire before she could respond. It wasn't as though she was trying to respond anyway, as her mouth was left hanging open, and tears were building in her eyes. Nate just saw a glimpse of her before the door closed and he was walking away.


	12. Chapter 12 - Serena

**A/N: This is long overdue, and I'm sorry for that you guys. I just hope all of my fans haven't disappeared on me! I am going to try and update more often, so that you guys get your fill of Gossip Girl from me! Sorry again for the late update. However, please do ENJOY!**

* * *

Serena was ready about half an hour before Dan was, and she would have been just on time had it not been for her boyfriend. While Serena had planned her attire for Chuck's party the moment she'd found out about it, Dan hadn't realized he was invited. Perhaps it was because - at that time - Blair didn't want him around, or maybe he just didn't realize that he was invited to all the parties now. He was one of the Upper East Side - at last. Even when Serena told him this, Dan hadn't seemed reassured.

"I don't think so, Serena. Chuck may not hate me, but I wouldn't call us _'friends'_."

"Chuck told me that you're a good guy. So, I think that puts you on his good list," Serena argued, she had been clearing off the table as she told him this.

"I know, but the whole Blair thing last year, and just me being from Brooklyn-"

"You have come _so_ far from being the Lonely Boy from Brooklyn, Dan," Serena sighed, pulling him up from his chair and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Everyone accepts you now. You are _one of us_!"

"That's great," Dan muttered, removing himself from her arms and disappearing into the bedroom.

Now, Serena was sitting on the edge of their bed as Dan rummaged around in his closet for something nice to wear. All of the options he'd shown her so far had been perfect, but he was frazzled. Being formally invited to a Chuck Bass party - and not just having to show up as Serena's guest - had taken its toll on him. A few days before the party, the invitations had arrived. One addressed to Ms. Serena van der Woodsen and another addressed to Mr. Daniel Humphrey.

"What about this one?" Dan asked, showing Serena a black tux with a white tie.

"Ditch the tie, but the rest is great!"

"I need a tie, Serena, and there isn't any other tie that works-" Serena grabbed his hand before he could throw that outfit to the side.

"Wear this tux, and let me find you a tie, got it?"

"Serena-"

"I'm not asking, I'm telling. We're already going to be late, and I'm not letting you get worked up over something that isn't even important. You've been to _dozens_ of Chuck's parties. Don't let this one get you overwhelmed." She insisted, pushing him away from the closet as she went through it for a decent tie.

The one she produced and helped him get on was black with the thinnest of grey stripes. He looked great for the party, and at last they could go. Without letting him make another complaint or pit stop as they left the apartment, Serena practically dragged him downstairs to where the limo was awaiting them. It only took about ten minutes to make it to the party site - the lobby of the Empire, of course - and it seemed they were one of the first to arrive. Though it was fifteen minutes after the party's begin, there were only about six people there, including Serena and Dan.

"Where is everyone?" Serena questioned once they'd found Blair, who looked very worried.

"We don't know," the girl fretted. "Chuck's in a mess. He thinks it's because of that whole scandal with his father. Why can't everyone just show up!"  
"Calm down, Blair," Dan soothed, putting a hand on her shoulder. Blair gave him a grateful look, then she spotted Chuck and dashed over to speak with him.

"This isn't good. Is there any way we can make an announcement or something?" Dan asked, but Serena had no clue.

"I have an idea," someone said from behind them, and Serena spun around to see that Nate and Jenny had arrived. They were standing close together, but Jenny's arm through Nate's, and both of them looked relaxed and happy. Serena smiled at their comfortableness, glad they finally figured it out.

"What is it? We have to help Chuck," Serena asked, looking hopeful. Dan was rigid next to her, his eyes trained on Nate, who shifted uneasily under the man's glare. Serena elbowed Dan sharply, giving him a pointed look, and he rolled his eyes, but forced himself to look at Jenny instead.

"We can blast a story on the Spectator's website, that's the most obvious answer," Jenny said, looking briefly at Nate, as it was his newspaper. "but we'll need more than that. Chuck has a lot of influence over Manhattan, so people must already know about the party. What _we_ need is a popular face to bring people here. Someone that makes people _want_ to come, maybe not for Chuck's party, but it will get people here."

"This party has the most popular families in Manhattan here already! I mean, the Waldorf's are here, and the President of Waldorf Designs-"

"Yeah, the most famous families in _Manhattan_. We need a worldly famous person here," Jenny argued, pulling her phone out of her bag, she dialed a number. "And I happen to know one," she smiled.

"Who could _you_ know that _we_ don't?" Nate asked incredulously, looking at Jenny in disbelief. She flashed him a winning smile before taking a few steps away for privacy.

"Is she not good enough to know people?" Dan demanded of Nate, stubbornly ignoring the second jab Serena sent into his side.

"That's not what I meant, Dan-"

"Then what did you mean, Nate? What could you possibly mean by askin-"

"Cut it out!" Serena snapped, moving to stand between the two men. "Dan, come here," she insisted, pulling her boyfriend out of earshot of Nate.

"What was that-"

"You need to stop," Serena scolded. "You are being ridiculous!"

"I can't believe you're taking his side, Serena! He slept with my sister and then decided she wasn't worth anything but a one-"

"Look over there," Serena pointed over to where Nate was still standing, but Jenny had joined him again. They were talking to each other, both smiling, and Jenny even laughed once. It didn't seem like anything bad had happened between them in all the years they'd known each other. In fact, it seemed they'd been together for years, as they were so familiar with one another. Dan frowned and looked away, refusing to admit it. "Does that look like he's disrespecting her? Does that look like he doesn't think she's worth something?"

"But he said-"

"He only said that because he didn't want to make you mad. He was stupid and thought telling you it was a one time thing would make it better. Obviously, it didn't, but he realized he was wrong. Can't you see how happy they make each other? And they've only been dating a few days!"

"I-" Dan sighed in defeat. "I guess you're right…"

"Alright. Now, let's go hear Jenny's plan," Serena took his hand and led him back over to the other couple. Nate gave Dan an uneasy look, but didn't speak.

"I called Dad. He'll be here in a few minutes."

"Jen, I don't think Dad is worldly famous enough to make this party packed," Dan said skeptically, furrowing his eyebrows together.

"It's not Dad that's going to bring the crowd, it's his guest." Jenny smiled.

"Wait," Dan suddenly laughed. "she's here? Why?"

"Well, she and Dad really hit it off, and she's been visiting a lot in the last couple of weeks," Jenny explained, sharing the laugh with Dan.

"Who? Who is it?" Serena demanded, exchanging a confused look with Nate.

"Only the talented Lisa Loeb," Jenny announced, offering a little simper and looking around for Blair. "I'm going to find Chuck and Blair to let them know. We'll save this party,"

"Good work Jen," Dan called. Serena shifted in her heels and then looked between Nate and Dan.

"I'll go with Jenny, you two talk," she insisted and then hurried to catch up with Jenny. She glanced back once to see that Dan and Nate were disappearing into the lobby, both looking grim.


End file.
